Money laundering case: First NAB reference fixed for hearing

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Web Desk
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Accountability court summons Zardari's close aide Younas Kudwavi and ex-administrator Karachi among others. Photo: File

ISLAMABAD: An accountability court on Thursday fixed for hearing the first National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference pertaining to the fake bank accounts and mega money laundering case.

Accountability court Judge Muhammad Bashir has issued summons to all suspects, including former Karachi administrator Muhammad Hussain Syed, and directed them to appear on April 19.

Former president Asif Ali Zardari's close aide Younas Kudwavi, four former and four current employees of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are among those summoned.

The suspects are accused of illegal allotments of land specified for welfare use. 

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) executive board on Tuesday granted approval for filing of the first reference pertaining to the fake bank accounts and mega money laundering case.

NAB Chairman Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal chaired the executive board meeting which granted approval for the filing of six corruption references, including one pertaining to the fake bank account case.

Money laundering case

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) was investing 32 people, including former president Asif Ali Zardari, his sister Faryal Talpur, Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed, in relation to money laundering through fictitious bank accounts.

Zardari’s close aide Hussain Lawai was arrested in July last year in connection with the probe. The former president’s other close aide and Omni Group chairman Anwar Majeed and his son, Abdul Ghani, were arrested by FIA in August 2018.

The Supreme Court in September 2018 had taken notice and constituted a joint investigation team to probe the matter. The JIT had filed its report and also recommended a directive for NAB to conduct a thorough inquiry.

In January 2019, the Supreme Court had referred the JIT report to NAB to launch its probe and complete it within two months.

On March 15, a banking court in Karachi approved the NAB chairman's petition and transferred the money laundering case to an accountability court in Islamabad for trial.